One of the veterans in Singapore’s cafe scene, Lola’s Cafe had its humble beginnings in Kovan. Its exquisite bake goods and consistency has allowed it to receive the title as one of the best cafes in Singapore. But some has complained about its remote location.
If you’ve been procrastinating your visit, you’ll be delighted to learn about Lola’s Cafe’s newly-opened outlet at Holland Village.
Hopefully, this is a more convenient location for you.
Hearty brunch dishes
We started our meal with Shakshuka ($16), one out of five vegetarian dishes on the menu. Over the years, the Tunisian brunch dish has taken across different forms: A spicy, savoury Moroccan recipe with merguez sausage as the base, an earthy and nutty version that’s similar to the Muhammara (a roasted red pepper dip from Syria), a creamy South-east Asian variation with the addition of coconut milk…
Lola’s Cafe’s variation suits most people’s palates — we’re assuming. Not too crazy on the herbs and spices; just a light smokey flavour in the backdrop, possible from roasting the vegetables before adding them to the pan. However, the dish was too wet.
Our favourite item of dish was the sourdough — slightly tangy, a light crisp, an airy texture. Our biggest regret of the day was not ordering extra sourdough. We’ve heard great things about Lola’s Cafe’s desserts, and it’s a shame their sourdough doesn’t get as much recognition.
Add-ons such as Pork Sausages ($3), Smoked chicken Ham ($2), Bacon Steak ($3) and Half an Avocado ($2) are also available. I thought they would be incorporated into the dishes somehow, especially in the shakshuka, but they were just served on the side.
The Crab Cake Benedict ($19) was assembled with an english muffin, a handmade crab cake, poached egg, miso hollandaise and furikake. The english muffin was nicely toasted. The egg was perfectly poached. The miso hollandaise and furikake reinforced the Japanese aspect of the dish and complemented the crab cakes. Its downfall was the crab cakes were too salty.
These two items are part of their brunch menu, which is only available till 3pm.
Meanwhile, from their all-day menu, we ordered the Roasted Harissa Cauliflower ($12) as a side dish. The cauliflowers had a crunchy texture, and it was coated in a thin layer of Harissa. Harissa is a hot chilli paste that is blended from a mix of roasted rep peppers and spices. The layer of hummus at the bottom ensured that the dish wasn’t too try, while the pickled pomegranates added a touch of sweetness for balance. However, the acidity that should’ve arisen from pickling the fruit wasn’t prominent.
When the tea is just as good as the coffee
Lola’s Cafe’s house blend uses a mix of Brazil and Indonesian beans in a 7:3 ratio. It promises notes of silvered almond, cocoa nibs, panela cake and fruit bar. My first thought was “this is… different…” It was light-bodied, tart and zesty. But it wasn’t acidic. Neither was it bold like an espresso-based drink would normally be.
Meanwhile, the seasonal single origin from Tanzania Nangonda had a rich and full finish that kept its fruity notes grounded.
Just when I thought no other drinks could beat it, their Chai Latte with Soy Milk ($7) proved me wrong. It was heavy on the ginger and star anise, which spice was counteracted by a drizzle of honey. It was bold and bright, and comforting all at once.
The Iced Strawberry Thyme Green ($6.5) is also an excellent choice for updating the Gram.
Desserts
If you’re on a gluten-free diet, don’t be disappointed.
The Flourless Chocolate Cake with Ice Cream ($7.5) is gluten-free, which is also why the texture is more of a fudge than a cake. But it was just as enjoyable.
Meanwhile, the Black Sesame Tart ($7) was elevated with a layer of Japanese matcha cookie. Neither element was extremely earthy, which might disappoint matcha and black sesame purists. However, it did have a nice balance of sweetness and astringency.
Location: 48 Lor Mambong, Singapore 277699
Tel: +65 8863 6515
Opening hours: 9am-10pm (closed on Mondays)
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*This article is written in collaboration with Lola’s Cafe, but all opinions are my own
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